Flood Plain Ordinance

As a condition of participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, the federal government has required local units of government to adopt regulations which restrict development activities on land designated by federal special flood hazard maps as being subject to 100-year flooding. These regulations are known as the Ogle County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance and are incorporated by reference in the county zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations. They are fairly restrictive and allow only limited development activity without variation of the regulations. “Development”, by definition, includes any man-made change to real estate (see Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance for detailed definition). If there is any uncertainty as to whether a property is subject to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, the applicant must provide certified information as to the elevation of the building site or development area in relation to the 100-year flood plain boundaries. Check with the Planning & Zoning Department to ascertain any potential problem with designated special flood hazard areas.

Click the following link to download the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance:
Ogle County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Effective 8/17/2016)

Special Flood Hazard Areas Development Permit
Any “development” as defined by the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance requires a permit (Special Flood Hazard Areas [SFHA] Development Permit) to be issued by the Planning & Zoning Department prior to commencement of the development activity.

Click the following link to download a SFHA Development Permit application form:

SFHA Development Permit application form

Click the following link to download a FEMA Elevation Certificate form:

FEMA Elevation Certificate

State and/or Federal Authorizations
Construction projects in Illinois waterways, floodplains and wetlands often require both State and Federal authorization.  The joint application packet, which may be downloaded below and is also available from any of the listed agencies, is designed to simplify the approval process for the applicant seeking project authorizations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE), The Illinois Department of Natural Resources/Office of Water Resources (IDNR/OWR) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

 Anyone proposing to construct, operate or maintain any dam, dock, pier, wharf, sluice, levee, dike, building, utility and road crossings, piling, wall, fence or other structure in; or dredge, fill or otherwise alter the bed or banks of any stream, lake, wetland, floodplain or floodway subject to State or Federal regulatory jurisdiction should apply for agency approvals.  The appropriate copy of the joint application form, drawings, and copy of any additional support information should be sent to each of the regulatory agencies.   Approvals may be required by any or all of the agencies.  Applications filed simultaneously with the USCOE, IDNR/OWR, and IEPA will be processed concurrently in an independent manner, and should result in expedited receipt of all agency determinations.  If a permit is not required by one or more of the agencies, they will inform the applicant and the other agencies.

 Coordination with the regulatory and other review agencies is recommended as early as possible during the project planning stage.  This allows revisions or other measures necessary to meet agency requirements to be made before project plans are finalized.

Click on any of the following links to download the joint permit application and instructions:

Joint Permit Application

Links to State and Federal Agencies:

Other Useful Links and Information: